"Let's go in and take a look." Howard's tone was firm and resolute.
He lifted his foot, ready to step onto the stairs. I stood behind him, gently tugging at his sleeve, my voice weak and trembling, "Do... do I have to go too?"
Howard suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, raised an eyebrow, and looked at me with a questioning gaze.
His eyes seemed to see right through my fear, and he made a seemingly reasonable suggestion. "How about you wait out here for me?"
I immediately shook my head. The eerie and mysterious forest made me extremely uneasy, and staying outside didn't make me feel any better. "I'd better go with you."
Seeing my frightened expression, Howard's lips curled into a smile, and a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
His words were like a shot of adrenaline, making me relax a little.
I nodded, then tightly held his hand. "I think it's safer this way," I explained.
He raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my dependence, his smile growing wider, and his voice carrying a hint of teasing, "Then you better hold on tight."
As Howard pushed open the heavy wooden door, a piercing sound echoed through the silent forest, like the whispers of an old mansion, giving off a really eerie vibe.
The outside of the mansion showed its age, with every brick and tile telling a story of the past.
From the architectural style and scale, it was clear this place once belonged to a prominent family. The tall doorways and exquisite carvings, though weathered, still hinted at its former glory.
The stone path was overgrown with weeds, almost completely covering the once smooth stones. Moss had crept up the walls, cloaking the mansion in a layer of green, making it look more like a part of the forest than a home.
Inside, the air was thick with a musty smell, a mix of dampness, mold, and some kind of decay, making one wrinkle their nose.
I nervously clung to Howard's sleeve, my eyes scanning the surroundings warily, afraid of any unseen eerie presence.
I whispered to Howard, "Is this Ivy's home?"
Howard's tone tinged with uncertainty, "Maybe."
"If this really is her home, then her family must have been quite wealthy," I continued, trying to spot any signs of its former glory in the mansion's ruins. "Look at the architecture and the size of this place. Even now, it would be worth a fortune. I just don't get why they would build a house in such a remote forest."
This place was so hidden that if Howard hadn't found Matthew's location, we might never have found it.
Just as I was thinking this, a sudden loud bang came from outside, the sound deafening, as if the door had been slammed shut by a great force.
The sudden noise startled me, making me tremble involuntarily. I clutched Howard's sleeve tightly, swallowing hard, my voice trembling. "The door closed. Ivy isn't planning to trap us here forever, is she?"
Howard heard my words and laughed disdainfully, his eyes revealing confidence. "She'd have to be pretty capable to pull that off."
We continued down a dark corridor, the air around us feeling thick and oppressive, adding to the sense of unease.
Finally, we reached the innermost part and saw a house that looked like a chapel.
The house appeared to have been abandoned for a long time, with moss covering the walls and the windows in disrepair.
However, when we entered, we found the dilapidated room filled with various portraits, the names on them long faded, but their exuded an inexplicable eeriness.
What was even more unsettling was that, despite no one being around, two white candles were lit on the table, their flames flickering in the breeze, as if an invisible hand was gently stirring them.
Seeing this, my heart almost leaped out of my throat. I felt an indescribable fear, as if something ominous was about to happen.
"We'd better not go any further. Do you have a way to call someone out?" I said to Howard. This place was freaking me out that I didn't want to go any further.
Howard glanced at me, a hint of understanding in his eyes, and nodded. "Yes." I breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the unease deep within me didn't completely dissipate.
"How?"
As soon as I asked, I saw him raise his hand, conjuring a ball of light. With a wave, the light flew straight towards the ancient chapel.
The moment the light ball touched the chapel, the neatly arranged portraits seemed to be hit by an invisible force, shattering into pieces and scattering everywhere.
His sudden act of destruction startled me, and I immediately grabbed his arm, filled with confusion and shock.
"What are you doing? This is..."
Destroying someone's portrait felt like desecrating their ancestors, which was extremely disrespectful in our culture.
Suddenly, a strange wind blew through the courtyard, coming unexpectedly, as if it had risen from the depths of the earth, carrying a bone-chilling cold.
Howard seemed to have anticipated all of this. He glanced at the courtyard, raised an eyebrow, and a smug smile appeared on his lips, as if everything was under his control. "See, this method works well."
For a moment, I couldn't argue with him.
Ivy's figure suddenly appeared in the courtyard, as if descending from the sky. I stood behind Howard, seeing her dressed in a wedding gown, which was particularly jarring.
She didn't seem surprised by our presence, her voice carrying a hint of disdain. "I knew you would come after us, but I didn't expect you to be so quick."
Her gaze turned to the chapel, seeing the chaos inside, with overturned tables and chairs, scattered incense burners and sacrificial items. A look of obvious displeasure appeared on her face. "You could have come, but why did you have to destroy my family's chapel?"
I mustered the courage to look her in the eye. "Ivy, where is Matthew? Where did you take him?"
Ivy looked at me with a half-smile, her hollow eyes seemingly filled with deep resentment and dissatisfaction. "If it weren't for your interference, he would be marrying me right now. Why did you have to disturb us?"
Hearing her words, I couldn't help but frown.
One of them was human, the other a ghost. How could they possibly get married? This was utter madness!